Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - John Bush

Although electronica had its fair share of chillout classics prior to the debut of Air, the lion's share were either stark techno Warp or sample-laden trip-hop Mo' Wax. But while Air had certainly bought records and gear based on the artists that had influenced them, they didn't just regurgitate or sample them; they learned from them, digesting their lessons in a way that gave them new paths to follow. They were musicians in a producer's world, and while no one could ever accuse their music of being danceable, it delivered the emotional power of great dance music even while pushing the barriers of what "electronica" could or should sound like. Never again would Saint Etienne ...

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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide
- John Bush

Although electronica had its fair share of chillout classics prior to the debut of Air, the lion's share were either stark techno Warp or sample-laden trip-hop Mo' Wax. But while Air had certainly bought records and gear based on the artists that had influenced them, they didn't just regurgitate or sample them; they learned from them, digesting their lessons in a way that gave them new paths to follow. They were musicians in a producer's world, and while no one could ever accuse their music of being danceable, it delivered the emotional power of great dance music even while pushing the barriers of what "electronica" could or should sound like. Never again would Saint Etienne be the only band of a certain age to reveal their fondness for Burt Bacharach. The Modulor EP had displayed astonishing powers of mood and texture, but it was Air's full-length debut, Moon Safari, that proved they could also write accessible pop songs like "Sexy Boy" and "Kelly Watch the Stars." But it wasn't all pop. The opener, "La Femme d'Argent," was an otherworldly beginning, with a slinky bassline evoking Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson and a slow glide through seven minutes of growing bliss plus a wonderful keyboard solo. The vocoderized "Remember" relaunched a wave of robot pop that hadn't been heard in almost 20 years, and the solos for harmonica and French horn on "Ce Matin La" made the Bacharach comparisons direct. Unlike most electronica producers, Air had musical ideas that stretched beyond samplers or keyboards, and Moon Safari found those ideas wrapped up in music that was engaging, warm, and irresistible.

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A Watershed CD

This might be in my Top 20 all time favorites. Playful, lush and profound, this CD has its own sound, it's own language, and is filled with great singing yet some terrific instumentals, including the long lead-off song (which couldn't be long enough). It's one of those disks where every song seems to be a classic.

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